TORWars' interview with Georg Zoeller talks with the Principal Lead Combat Designer on Star Wars: The Old Republic, picking up many details on how combat will operate in the upcoming Star Wars MMORPG. Georg talks about the challenges of staying faithful to the source material, the roles the various advanced classes will be able to fill, stealth, PvE versus PvP skills, ranged versus melee combat, the role of lightsabers and Force powers, and balance issues.

The thing that cracks me up is that all four Force classes play roughly the same, which is half the game. The other half plays like STO's old ranged combat system, which even Cryptic knew was fail so they changed it to a much more fun "Mass Effect" style experience.

I was in a beta phase that was back in March - May. And I can say that it is WoW in space. If that is something you dig...then go fer it. But it does NOT feel like a Star Wars game imo. I mean...I just don't think you can truly pull off Star Wars in an MMO setting anyways really. "Hello Jedi...go kill a bunch of space rats."But anyways. I think it could go down as the most expensive flop in history. I also love how they keep saying "operations" like it will disguise that it is the same ole tired "raid".

I can confirm what Entropy says, that is the word on the beta forums. They are going to start inviting groups for weekend Betas. As far as I know they will be on their own separate servers though. Another round of beta invites went out today. I don't think i know anyone who got in to play with me though.

The game really is not as bad as people say it is or as you've heard it is.

From a purely MMO fan perspective, and setting my love of Star Wars aside. It is not a ground breaking MMO, but, the story driven classes add a lot to the usually generic formula and the fully voice acted quest givers add to the immersion. The flashpoints are far better than any instance I've played in any other game due to the group choice wheel moments changing the paths and things you fight in most cases, there are 2 paths in the flashpoints.